Vending machine



June 24, 1930.

G. B. MACKE VENDING MACHINE4 'Filed May 1o 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY WITNESS:

`lune 24, 1930.

G. B. MACKE VBNDING MACHINE 2 sheetsheet 2 Filed May 10, 1929 WITNESS:

k T N I VENTOR ATTORNEY Patented June 24, Y1930 Fries GORDON B. MACKE, OF WASHINGTON, DESTRIGT F COLUMBIA VENDING Application filed May 10,

This invention relates to improvements in vending machines especially adapted for use in connection with coin controlled vending machines.

In machines of the above character, the operator will sometimes receive an article before the operation of the machine has been fully completed and the mechanism will stop in such position that the machine will apparently be locked, so that a subsequent operator will not receive an article even though a proper coin has been deposited.

rlhe primary object of the present invention is to overcome this defect by providing means to prevent the delivery of an article until the complete cycle` of operation of the machine has been fully completed, so that the operator or customer will be obliged to complete the operation and leave the machine in proper condition for subsequent operation.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention further includes the following novel features and details of construction, to be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a portion of a vending machine with the invention applied, the invention being in its active position.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the normal position of the parts, the dotted lines illustrating an article released for delivery.

Figure 3 is a sectional view showing a fragmentary portion of a vending machine of a dilferent character with the invention applied.

Figure 4 is a sectional view illustrating the invention applied to another type of machine.

Referring to the drawings in detail wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts, the reference character 10 indicates the housing of a vending machine within which is arranged a magazine 11. This magazine is adapted to contain packages or other articles 12 which are delivered through the operation of mechanism to be MACHINE 1929. serial No. 362,069.

described, and the operation of the said. mechanism may be coin controlled. As the coin mechanism forms no part of the present invention, such mechanism is not illustrated.

The articles 12 are adapted to be ejected from the lower end of the magazine l1 into a delivery compartment 13, so that the customer or operator may receive his article from this compartment. For this purpose, there is provided an ejector mechanism of suitable character. This mechanism as shown in Figures l and 2 of the drawings may consist of a slide 14 which is movable within a guide 15 and this slide has connected thereto an operating knob 16. The knob 16 extends upward throughV a slot (not shown) provided in the housing and is provided with a finger piece whereby the customer or operator may move the slide. Secured to the slide is an ejector 17 which is adapted to pass into the lower end of the magazine through a slot 18. Inward movement of the ejector 17 is yieldingly resisted by a spring 19. l

The bottom ofl the magazine is yprovided with an opening for the passage of the articles 12, the articles passing horizontally outward from the magazine. The articles are supported upon ledges 2O which extend along each side of the slot 18, Iso that the articles will not fall downward. Horizontal outward movement of the articles is yieldingly resisted by means of a spring arm 21.

By reference to Figure 1 of the drawings it will be seen that when the arm 16 is pushed inward against the action of the spring 19, the ejector will engage the lowermost article 12 and force the latter horizontally outward.

. In order to prevent the article from falling downward into the delivery compartment 13 as soon as the article passes from the ledge 20, the invention provides `a substantially L-shaped` plate. This plate is normally arranged as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, being pivotally mounted as shown at 22. As the ejector 17v is moved inward against the action of the spring 19, it will engage the arm' 23 of the L-shaped plate and will force this arm downward so as to move the arm 24 upward beneath the outwardly moving article 12 and prevent said article from falling downward"y into the delivery compartment as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. The arm 24 will remain in this position until the ejector 17 is retracted, so that the article will not be released until the ejector has been returned to its normal position. The arm 24 of the L-shaped plate is shaped to facilitate passage of the article after the release of the L-shaped plate.

Upward movement of the arm 23 is limited by contact with the guide 15, while outward or return movement of the ejector is limited by stop pins 25 which exten-d from the ejector and engage upon opposite sides of the slot 13.

Tn Figure 3 of the drawings the ejector 26 is shown in the form of a horizontally slidable frame. This frame has extending therefrom an arm 27 which operates through a slot 28 provided in the housing of the machine. A stationary bottom 29 is provided at the lower end of the magazine 30, so that the lowermost article within the magazine will be positioned within the frame 26.

Pivotally mounted within the housing as shown at 31 is a plate 32. This plate eX- tends into the delivery compartment 33 of the machine and is provided with an eXtensio'n 34. This extension is engaged by the inclined edge 35 of the projection 36 which is carried by and movable with the ejector frame 26.

Normally the parts are arranged as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings, the extension 34 of the plate 32 being engaged by the inclined edge 35 of the member 26. When the slide is moved outward to the position shown by the dotted lines in Figure 3, the inclined edge 35 of the member 36 will force the eX- tension 34 downward and the plate 32 upward, so that the said plate will receive the article from the ejector 26 and will retain the same until the ejector has been returned to its normal position.

In Figure 4 of the drawings, the vending machine is shown as including a rotary magazine 37 having peripheral pockets 38 which are adapted to contain the articles 39 to be vended. These articles are retained in place by means of a retaining strip 40 until they reach an opening 41 provided in the delivery chute 42. Pivotally mounted within this chute as shown at 43 is a plate 44 which normally occupies the position shown by the dotted lines. A. rod 45 is slidingly mounted so that its inner end engages the plate 44 and when this rod is moved inward, the plate 44 will occupy the full line position shown in Figure 4 of the drawings so as to prevent the passage of an article through the delivery chute.

In this form of the invention, the coin mechanism may control the operation of the rod 45 and the magazine 37, so that when the rod 45 is moved inward to the position shown, the article released from the magazine will fall upon the rod and its passage through the delivery chute to the discharge end thereof will be prevented until the rod has been moved outward to its normal position and the plate 44 downward to the dotted line position mentioned.

The invention is susceptible of various changes in its form, proportions and minor details of construction and the right is herein reserved to make such changes as properly fall within the 'scope of the appended claim.

Having described the invention what is claimed is In a vending machine, a housing, an article magazine therein, a reciprocatory ejector arrange to eject articles singly from the magazine, a pivotally mounted plate in the housing and having angularly related p0rtions providing an ej coter-engaging arm and and article receiving and supporting arm, said ejector engaging arm adapted to be engaged by the ejector during the ejecting'and returning movements thereof to position the receiving and supporting arm to receive the ejected articles from the magazine and support the latter against delivery from the housing until said ejector returns to its nonejecting position.

n testimony whereof T affix my signature.

GORDON B. MAGKE. 

